As 2010 comes to a close this week we have a great opportunity to look back at our music making this year. How much music did we make? What projects did we complete? What songs did we write, record, mix, share? It’s important to ask these questions not just for sake of reliving some memories, but rather extract information about what we learned and how we can harness that to make better music in the coming new year.
Via Susanne Nilsson Flickr
What Is Your Pace?
Looking back this year, on average how long did it take you to complete a project? Whether it was a single song or a whole album, what was your pace? Do you bang things out quickly, or do you drag recordings on and on never quite ready to stop?
Deciphering your project pace is important so you can improve it next year. Not that creating music in your home studio is a race, but working efficiently always trumps working aimlessly. If you find that it took you on average 10 hours to mix a song, look to trim that down sizably in 2011 so you can be freed up to make more music.
What Techniques Did You Learn?
Recording and producing music is obviously more than a simple equation of proper technique + the “right” equipment. Instead it is the constant accumulation of tips, techniques, and experiences that help you think creatively and solve “problems” as you try and capture a performance. That being said, what techniques did you accumulate in 2010 that were breakthrough moments for your recordings?
Sometimes it’s not even something “new” but rather a reminder that helps you get back on track. For me one of these reminders was to not record so hot into my DAW. This one simple reminder can go a long way to ensuring better recordings and I will definitely be implementing this strategy moving forward on projects this next year.
What Sounds Did You Discover?
In order to make and produce good music you need to listen to and love good music yourself. You probably listened to a lot of music this year; what of that did you like? Any new artists you liked? If so, why? What sounds did you discover or hear that just moved you and got you excited about creating music of your own? Try and write some of those down and re-create them in your own projects.
For example, you could have heard an effected drum kit sound that really created a groove that had you hooked. Why not describe what about that sound you like and try to implement it in your own studio? Was there a guitar tone or style that felt fresh? Try to bring that into your next session. This is how you begin to grow, you hear things you like, try to mimic them on your own and eventually that evolves into something unique and new. All the while it’s genesis lies in something that YOU personally enjoy. Crucial.
Moving Forward…
At The Recording Revolution, my goal is for you to make better music NOW! Not later, not hopefully in the future, but right now in your present. 2011 is days away, and I want you to take what you’ve learned from this year and use it to your advantage. You can already make better music now than you did 12 months ago, so tap into that and get busy!
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
So comes to an end my first year (well 8 months) as a recording hobbyist newby. With little exception, I owe great thanks to you and a select few others that have guided me through the steep learning curve. Your websites, products, and quick responses to questions has allowed me complete more then I ever imaged. So here is what you have allowed me to complete: I learned a tremendous amount about PT, Recording and production. I helped a friend record and release a CD (probably not the greatest job BUT I DID IT!). Have begun a Sunday morning recording 101 for a couple of younger kids who have an interest in music.
I thank you for your time and dedication, and wish you, your family and friends a wonderful and safe New Year…
Marc, what kind words. I am so encouraged to know that I have helped you grow in your music making endeavors this year! Keep up the great work!
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for all your help, it’s been a huge inspiration, motivation and help for me. You E-book was a tremendous help for me, because it came at a time when I was getting too much into gear and I was forgetting the most important thing, the Music.
So a thousand thank yous and God Bless my friend, happy new year!
So glad I could help Chepe. Thanks for being a reader!
I would not say I have improved alot in my playing or sound arrangement, but have learned alot of valuable info from this site, as one of the recent interviews said “get your hands dirty and turn the knobs on compressors and EQ’s to learn how they sound” gives me abit more confidence instead of just using factory settings in the program. I Have a crazy idea to take a song I have bounced out of pt and import back to a new session, make it mono and double it so pan one left the other right. Would there be any benefit to doing this, or just overkill?
I’m thinking the song would import back as 1 track to do this.
Dan – Glad you’ve learned a lot from this site. I’ll keep working to make it useful for people like you.
Regarding your idea, if it really is just a double of the entire track then it would sum back exactly the same only louder.
So this year I learned a lot because I have a lot to learn. But there are two areas that stand out the most. The first is mixing. Making sure that things don’t get muddy. There is only so much sonic space and there’s a tendency to want to fill it up too quickly. The other is mastering and mastering software! This is another art in and of itself! I guess it’s not so much about how much I’ve learned as much as the huge difference it makes in your music!
Great way to wrap up 2010. Thank you, Graham for a very educational and motivational year. Unfortunately for me, not many *recording* projects completed this year. However, played lots of live shows, and completed many recording sessions toward a full-length release. 2011 will be the year of completing projects! One huge success this year was discovering what was crashing my Pro Tools system (firewire bus resetting randomly). I now have a rock-solid stable system! Yay!
Thanks for all you do, Graham. I wish you and your family a prosperous and happy New Year.
.j.
Yes sir! You the man Graham!
I’m new to this site- 11-10 ish? And I can’t remember how I discovered it-Project Studio Network-me thinks? I’m an ole pro that has toured the U.S. (smooth jazz group Alexander Zonjic, Kirk Walem, Bob James and others) and spent a lifetime in clubs performing guitar… blah blah blah.
I’m interested in home recording and this site has really been inspirational. Where do you get all your energy Graham! Amazing!
I’m interested in composing jazzy music and twisting it with a modern DJ type approach/trickery-only without sooooo much repetition.
…anywho……
I had been recording direct via Line 6’s Pod x3 and Pod Farm. After watching your vid I shot up to Guitar Center and bought the Berringer Bugera V5 and so far really like it. And so that is new for me for 2010.
I also studied your vid-recording acoustic guitar and mic placement-I’m working on that! Very cool ya’ll!
Probably the most useful tip I learned in 2010 is how to use subtractive EQ-especially high pass filtering for cleaning up the low end and keeping the mix clean over all.
I am a complete addict and can not keep my paws off my DAW- I had a very productive year-though I’m only interrested in having fun with this AMAZING technology that we are blessed with!!!
I am hopelessly in love with the amazing Ableton Live! It’s just impossible not to be creative with this outstanding and inspired DAW!!
Cheers for being you dude!
Peace,
Chuck – So glad to see your motivation dude! Keep up the great work. Really encouraged that my site can help someone like you out! Thank you for your kind words.
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graham, of all your superb suggestions, the year analysis is one of the best ones to improve the studio and songwriting flow, no doubt.
this is my second year making this analysis, last year’s was a win bet, sure this year’s leads me the same way.
thanks
truly
faithfully, rauk